Eastern pale clouded yellow
Females of this butterfly occur in two color forms, plain yellow or pure white, a switch unrelated to season and seen within the same population.
| Where | Grassland and farmland across East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 23 to 26 mm forewing length |
| When | March to November |
The Eastern pale clouded yellow is a small, fast-flying butterfly. Males are lemon yellow with a broad black wing border, while females appear either yellow or white, both with paler black markings and a small dark spot on each forewing.
Caterpillars feed on clover and other low legumes, and the species overwinters as a larva before completing two generations a year. It flies over grassland, farmland, and gardens from lowland parks to mountain meadows across Japan and East Asia.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Yellow, Black, White
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; does not sting or bite.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Smaller overall and lacks the large dark spot on the hindwing underside that the Eastern pale clouded yellow always shows, and it overwinters as an adult rather than as a larva.
The white female form of the Eastern pale clouded yellow can look like this species, but the Small white never has the hindwing spot or the orange-yellow tint that marks the clouded yellow.
Questions
Is the Eastern pale clouded yellow dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; does not sting or bite.
When can you see the Eastern pale clouded yellow?
The Eastern pale clouded yellow can be seen from March to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Estonian Museum of Natural History, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Whites and yellows›Colias
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.